Pew Charitable Trust
By: Michael Ollove
A little-noticed part of President Donald Trump’s plan to reduce prescription drug prices could change the way Medicaid has paid for drugs for nearly 30 years. The change might save taxpayer dollars – but it also could make it more difficult for people with certain conditions to get the medicines that work best for them.
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But some health policy analysts worry that consumers will be hurt if Medicaid agencies are able to drop medications that treat some patients’ conditions or illnesses better than others. “My concern is that if a drug was clinically effective, you wouldn’t want to see a state exclude it solely based on cost,” said Edwin Park, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.
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